Senior Partnerships Acquisition Manager- UK (m/f/d)

ABOUT US

Pliant is a modular B2B payments platform that combines commercial card issuing, payment accounts, FX, and spend management in one system — adapting to existing setups rather than requiring customers to replace them.

Businesses across industries such as travel, e-commerce, and insurance use Pliant to manage complex payment workflows with cards, backed by credit lines Pliant underwrites itself.

Fintechs and software platforms embed Pliant's payment infrastructure into their own products, from API-based Cards-as-a-Service to fully white-label solutions. Banks use Pliant's Card & Spend OS, the customer-facing interface, on their own infrastructure to run card programs.

Founded in 2020 and headquartered in Berlin, Pliant serves 5,000+ businesses and 40+ partners across Europe and the United States. A principal member of Visa and Mastercard, Pliant issues commercial cards in 13 currencies across 32 countries — under its own European e-money license and with licensed partners in the UK and US.

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ABOUT THE ROLE

We are looking for a Senior Partnerships Acquisition Manager- UK (m/f/d) to drive our commercial growth through indirect sales and strategic channel partners. You’ll lead our efforts to embed Pliant’s offering into the ecosystems of platforms, service providers, and vertical SaaS companies that serve our target customers.

This is a unique opportunity to build a highly-leveraged growth channel by working with partners who already own distribution, data, or trust in our target verticals. Your goal will be to develop partner frameworks, sign and launch new revenue-generating alliances, and enable both technical and commercial success through close collaboration.

You will report to the Director of Strategic Partnerships in Berlin and work cross-functionally with Product, Compliance, Marketing, and Legal to deliver partner-led growth at scale.

This role is open in London, UK (hybrid)

WHAT YOU'LL DO

• Define & Own the Partner Sales Strategy: Help develop the UK roadmap for acquiring and growing non-banking partnerships. Identify key categories (e.g., spend platforms, procurement software, accounting software, HR tech, and more) and prioritize high-value partner types.

• Partner Sourcing, Outreach & Negotiation: Source strategic partner/client opportunities and lead commercial outreach, solution evaluation and negotiations through to agreement. Evaluate both embedded finance and co-sell/white-label models.

• Partner Enablement & Activation: Collaborate with internal teams to support partner onboarding, integration, co-marketing, and joint pipeline generation.

• Revenue Leadership: Own KPIs for sourced revenue, new partner activation, and joint customer acquisition. Establish a clear reporting cadence and growth targets.

• Cross-Functional Collaboration: Work closely with Product to support integration use cases (e.g., issuing APIs, spend control, onboarding flows). Coordinate with Legal and Compliance on deal structures and risk considerations.

• Go-to-Market Development: Co-create messaging, enablement materials, and campaigns with Marketing and Growth that drive partner success.

WHAT YOU'LL BRING

• 4-6 years of experience in B2B commercial roles, with a strong focus on corporate/enterprise level sales, or embedded finance projects.

• A strong and relevant network of contacts across vertical SaaS platforms, marketplaces, and fintech service providers in the UK market.

• Track record of building and scaling large contracts with platforms, marketplaces, or vertical SaaS companies.

• Deep understanding of embedded finance models, revenue-sharing structures, credit lines and technical integrations.

• Strong commercial acumen and experience negotiating complex agreements.

• Excellent relationship management and stakeholder engagement skills (internally and externally).

• Familiarity with the UK fintech and payments landscape, particularly indirect sales channels.

• Experience managing sales forecasts, partner enablement processes, and CRM hygiene.

• Entrepreneurial drive, strategic mindset, and ability to thrive in a fast-moving environment.

• Exceptional verbal and written communication skills (English required)

WHAT WE OFFER

• The opportunity to work in a growing team with big responsibilities that thrives on a strong exchange of knowledge and excellence

• Attractive remuneration

• Your choice of preferred OS, Windows or Mac

• Flat hierarchy and transparent communication in a relaxed, professional atmosphere

• Opportunity to develop your talent in a dynamic team with ambitious goals

• Flexibility and possibility to work remotely

• Pliant Card with monthly credit to explore the product and enjoy food with colleagues

Pliant is an equal opportunity employer. We welcome applications from people of all backgrounds, identities and abilities, and are committed to an inclusive hiring process. If you need any accommodations during the interview process, please let us know.

A human is behind these processes. Ashby does not automatically reject candidates or make final hiring decisions. Our teams review all results and make the final hiring decision with every candidate that applies.